Vuelta a España race chief Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) struck a defiant notice regardless of his most severe time loss so far to arch-rival Primož Roglič on the lungburstingly-steep Ancares summit end.
With some 4 kilometres to go on the ultimate ascent, a searing sequence of regular accelerations by the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe squad, beginning with Dani Martínez, Florian Lipowitz and Aleksandr Vlasov and culminating with Roglič himself, shattered an already fast-disintegrating entrance group.
Even because the Slovenian scythed down his rivals and went for it alone, O’Connor was already in serious trouble. But somewhat than over-react and check out to stick with or draw near Roglič, he merely opted to proceed at a gradual tempo and hope for the most effective.
It proved to be the most effective tactic by far, and even noticed O’Connor restrict the velocity of the time loss at sure factors, with Spanish TV calculating he ceded simply 9 or 10 seconds within the closing kilometre. But that was a drop in a hefty-sized pond by then, as Roglič had lengthy since managed to drop all the subject, together with his often most tenacious pursuer Enric Mas (Movistar), and was clearly occurring the rampage.
O’Connor lastly crossed the road 1:55 down on Roglič, and his total lead has plummetted to a slender 1:21. After the ten seconds in Cordoba on stage 7, the 56 seconds – together with time bonus – in Cazorla on stage 8 and the 37 seconds at Padron on stage 11, this was by far the most important dent in his GC benefit so far and narrows the hole between himself and Roglič to its closest but.
But because the Australian identified on the end, whereas being removed from a really perfect outcome, “I’m nonetheless in purple so a minimum of that’s a very good factor”.
“My morale’s OK, I might have appreciated to have been higher, however I can’t select, so I’m nonetheless blissful I’ve bought this jersey, I’m nonetheless in a tremendous second in my profession, even when it is not been simple immediately,” O’Connor stated afterwards.
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“I’m going to get up tomorrow nonetheless main this race and provides it one other crack. It wasn’t my finest day, however I’m nonetheless in the identical situation. I’ve had, what, seven or eight days within the jersey, so I’ll simply try to maintain it for so long as I can. That’s going to be my story till I lose it.”
Isolated from his teammates, O’Connor did every thing to deal with it at his personal tempo. Even his common climbing wingman Felix Gall moved forward, and each Adam Yates (UAE Emirates) and Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease A Bike), neither on an important day, had been capable of transfer previous him and forward.
O’Connor’s rationalization for the time loss was easy. “I used to be fairly cooked, I wasn’t going anyplace in a rush. I used to be simply attempting to handle my effort. Like I stated, I didn’t actually have an excessive amount of occurring immediately.
“I assume the ultimate kilometre was not the worst, however I simply tried to maintain my tempo. I simply tried to get from A to B as quick as I may.”
He didn’t, he stated, anticipate to cede the jersey at Ancares, though he was practical sufficient to confess that at this stage of the sport, it was not out of the query. As the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale chief put it, “possibly, some day, however not immediately. I used to be going gradual, however not that gradual”.
While stage 14 is one other mountainous day, the principle late problem of the cat.1 Puerto de Leitareigos is lengthy however not excessively troublesome or steep and is adopted by a quick descent to the end at Vilablino. O’Connor’s subsequent large problem to his GC lead will seemingly come on stage 15 to Cuitu Negru, a monster 18km summit end climb with a particularly laborious finale.
For now, although, the Australian stays on prime of the classification and if Ancares was on no account his finest day, it’s as nicely to do not forget that on the even tougher Sierra Nevada stage final Sunday, O’Connor not solely did not crack, he was even capable of regain a little bit time on his rivals with a 3rd place on the road.
Ancares may need been a significant blow to O’Connor’s GC hopes of retaining purple, then, but when one factor is obvious on this ultra-unpredictable Vuelta a España, it’s that nothing will be taken without any consideration. And because the Australian himself put it, albeit extra narrowly than ever, he is nonetheless within the lead.
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